you know that phrase...

...."it's the little things in life" or something like that? i think i'm one of those people who get the most pleasure out of "the little things" (whatever that means).

For example:

1 - In Germany (and Austria), you can get a Pfand (I guess the English word for this is just "refund"?) any time you bring an empty glass/plastic bottle back to the store. Each bottle is worth anywhere from 9-25 euro cents, depending on the size and the store's policy. I was so excited yesterday when I realized I had 6 bottles to take to the store yesterday, I was beside myself. I walked to the supermarket and got my 93 euro cents and felt like it was the best day of my life.

2 - I recently discovered multivitamins that look like Rolaids (you drop them into a glass of water and they dissolve). I was expecting it to taste disgusting but it tasted amazing! I have started drinking one a day and it's hard to limit myself even to that.  When I am cooking dinner and realize I still haven't had my multivitamin water yet, I get so excited.

3 - I got a text message (SMS) today from Kayla on her new, German phone. This made me SO happy to know that she is now just a phone call or text message away. When we lived in Salzburg, we were in constant communication - calling or texting all the time. When my Austrian phone got stolen in the break-in last summer, I was so sad because all of my Salzburg SMSes were on that phone! I always liked to re-read them when I was bored on train rides and remember the kinds of things we were saying to each other (a lot of funny memories saved via SMS). Now that Kayla has a new phone with a German number, however, my day has been made.

(above photo courtesy of Kayla)